Much Love, Inui
by coverthobby
Summary: PoT team are volunteered to act as translators and escorts for an American gymnastics team. Can love blossom is short time? Rated M, be warned, some graphic sexual situations. Do not read if this offends you.
1. Chapter 1

Coach left after announcing that their team had been asked to compete in Japan at the Gymnastics Invitational. After accepting the invite, coach called a friend from her days at University. Sumire Ryuzaki and Jasmine Roland had been very good friends. Luckily, through out the years they had kept in touch. With her friends' help Jasmine could turn this trip into something her team could remember for a lifetime. Jasmine thought of Sumire's stories of the tennis club she coached. According to Sumire, Jasmine need not worry about her girls during their time in Japan. When the boys' schedules permitted they would gladly serve as escorts and translators. Jasmine looked at the team photograph Sumire had sent her. They were all good looking boys. Knowing her girls lived and breathed gymnastics; it would be awkward for them. She knew they didn't have time for all the socializing. This would be different now as their school year ended a week before their arrival date in Japan. There would be no schoolwork. Jasmine sighed; this could prove to be interesting.

The co-captains, Jessica and Ashley were seniors; they had been best friends since middle school. Jessica automatically fell into position as 'leader'; she had the confidence and outgoing personality that people were drawn to. She wasn't beautiful by any stretch, but there was something that made people do double takes when she passed by. She was cute, just cute. She stood 5'3", had shoulder length light brown hair with a few sun bleached blond streaks. Her eyes were green, very green if she became agitated or emotional. Her nose was small and 'cute', her lips perfectly shaped. Jessica would call herself ordinary. Ashley was the beautiful one. Blond hair half way down her back, blue eyes that sparkled with humor, only standing 5'1" she was the perfect "porcelain doll". Ashley wasn't a mirror looker though. She liked to laugh and have fun; she couldn't stand the primping and polishing to impress people.

"Wow!" exclaimed Regina (a junior who paid more attention to boys than anything else) "they are all gorgeous!" The 3 sophomores nodded, their jaws agape. Ashley took the photo and scrutinized it. She pointed at someone, "he is quite perfect isn't he?" Jessica cocked a brow and looked over her friend's shoulder. Ashley flipped the photo over and read aloud "Mo-mo-shir-o Tak-ashi. I wonder if it's Mr. Mo-mo-shir-o or Mr. Tak-ashi?" She frowned; this might be harder than she thought. "Not that it matters what his name is when he looks like that!" she stated firmly, "I wonder if he'll be my escort" she mused. The one and only freshman, Mindy snorted and spoke up "as if I would want any of them!" Mindy didn't have time for boys or close friends for that matter. All she cared about was making top grades and going to the Olympics. She called herself, focused. Ashley said she had tunnel vision. Mindy was a compact powerhouse. Her well-toned muscles told no lies about her physical condition. Girls outside of the team snickered at her behind her back because of her flat chest. Mindy's breasts had once been described as "B.B.'s under wallpaper". She had been mortified then. A boy decided to give this description at the height of lunchtime in the over crowded cafeteria.

"This is so cool" Ashley continued, "I didn't know what to think when coach announced that these boys would be escorting us." "It may prove useful when we want to go sightseeing or shopping" Jessica chimed in "at least we won't have to worry about getting lost or having to figure out how many dollars make a yen." Ashley rolled her eyes, "Jess, you are soooo practical sometimes." "One of us should be, eh?" she asked grinning.

The tallest girl at 5'5" spoke up softly. "They are all sort of…uhh…pretty, don't you think?" "What do you mean Rachael?" another junior asked. "Well, usually the pretty ones…are…err…how should I say…you know…boys who like boys." Jessica stared her down "geez Rachael, talk about stereotyping! Besides, they are escorts and translators. I doubt they signed up as boy toys." Rachael blushed. "Well you never know" she cleared her throat, "stranger things have happened." Jessica laughed and picking up her gym bag, started walking away. Glancing back over her shoulder (her eyes now green as emeralds) "Maybe" she said, "they are boys, who like boys, that like girls, who like boys." Ashley blinked wide-eyed at her friend, then burst out into laughter as she followed her.

NOTE: I don't own anything related to PoT

This is my first fan fiction. Although I love the pairings of all the boys, I thought ….let's see how they would interact with girls. The rating is for following chapters, please do not read this if graphic sexual contact offends you.


	2. Chapter 2

Jessica was wide-awake for the entire flight. She hated to fly, but tried not to let anyone see it. Jessica finally put down the book she had been reading with an exasperated sigh. Why bother, when she had read the same 2 pages about 5 times. When the plane touched down Jessica nearly ran people over to get off. Ashley caught up with her in customs. She knew Jessica was stressed from the flight. "Hey Jess" she whispered "relax … you're strung tighter than a .. a.. tennis racket!" They both broke up with laughter and got curious glances from their teammates as they caught up to them in customs.

"Since it's three in the morning, why don't you girls go loosen up in the hotel gym," coach continued, "the plan for tonight is to meet my friend and her tennis team. We'll all go out for dinner and try to get through the awkwardness." The girls exchanged looks. Ashley mouthed Mo-Mo-Shir-O at Jessica who shook her head and looked heavenward.

The girls went through the array of apparatus in the gym, finally quitting around ten in the morning. Most of the girls went back to their suites to take naps. Ashley, Mindy and Jessica went to look for a coffee shop. Lucky for them the shop girl knew a bit of English. When she requested payment of 10,000 yen Ashley stared dumbfounded. Jessica handed over her VISA card. As they sat and drank their coffee, Jessica murmured that they might have to buy a wheelbarrow for the amount of cash they would need to carry around. Painting the mental image of a shopping spree, pushing wheelbarrows, the girls got a case of the giggles. Mindy pulled out her electronic translator (she said she'd be damned before relying on some boy to translate for her). Ashley was looking at the pastries with a wistful look. "How do you say 'chocolate cake?' " she asked. Mindy typed furiously and replied "cho-co-lot cak-eee" Being giddy from stress and exhaustion all three of them burst into laughter, loud enough to turn heads. "I hope I can remember that" Ashley said, which caused another round of contagious laughter. "Time for some sleep" Jessica gasped. Smiling they left the coffee shop, unaware that every patron in the place was smiling at them when they left.

Rachael woke with a start about 5pm. "Oh my God!" she screeched. Mindy leapt out of bed, "what … what? What's wrong? She scanned the room looking for whatever had scared Rachael so bad. "What do we wear tonight? Where are we going? Is it formal? Semi-formal? What time should we be ready? Can we wear shoes in there?" Mindy stared at her like a doe caught in headlights. "I… I …don't know," she stammered. "I'll go ask Ashley". "How am I supposed to know?" Ashley answered in annoyance from being waked up from a nice dream. Jessica woke up slowly listening to the frantic conversation in the next room. She picked up her cell phone and called their coach. Coach laughed and explained that dinner would be relaxed, but the girls should dress nicely. Jessica was all too happy to pass on the information to stop the uproar.

Jessica chose a black mid-thigh skirt with a pink cashmere sweater. Pink was a good color on her; she was lucky not to be as fair as Ashley. She hated putting on hose, but knew the outfit would look more put together with hose and heels. She made up her face, minimally as always. Eye shadow, liner, mascara and a quick brush of powder. How ordinary! Jessica was ready in 20 minutes, not so for the rest of the bunch. When it was time to leave the suites looked like a tornado had moved through them. There were skirts, blouses, sweaters and shoes strewn about.

They all met in the hotel lobby. They were walking the two blocks to the restaurant. The girls exited the elevator to come face to face with their coach, her friend Sumire, and eight very handsome gentlemen. The two groups checked each other out as Jasmine stepped forward to make the introductions. "Here are our co-captains Jessica and Ashley. Next are Mindy, Regina and Rachael, and finally, our sophomores Tracy and Connie. Thank you for being so kind as to be their escorts." Jessica took a deep breath, stepped forward and put out a hand to shake. She looked up at the tall dark haired man. He bowed slightly and said "Sorry…I'm just Inui, this is our captain Tezuka Kunimitsu. Tezuka stepped forward and took Jessica's hand. "Welcome, it is our pleasure to be helpful to you during your stay." Very good English, very sexy, thought Jessica "Arigatto Mr Kunimitsu and Mr. Just Inui," Jessica said with a sly smile and a wink in Inui's direction. Ashley stepped up and bowed slightly at Tezuka. "It's a pleasure to meet you, and I wish to express my gratitude for your generosity." Jessica glanced sideways at her friend. When was Ashley ever this formal? Jessica was holding her breath, trying very hard not to start laughing. Turning back around, Ashley met Jessica's eyes and she winked. Ashley was in a mischievous mood … watch out world!

"If we leave now and walk at a comfortable pace, we will arrive at our destination in 9.35 minutes" Inui said. Regina giggled somewhere in the back of the crowd. "Shall we go then?" coach asked. They all nodded in unison. The handsome Momoshiro and Kaido both walked up to Ashley and offered their arms. Ashley smiled brightly and murmured, "this must be my lucky day." Connie was gently guided by the elbow by a blushing Takashi Kawamura. Ryoma walked up to Mindy and said "hello" while holding out his hand. Mindy lifted her nose slightly, crossed her arms in front of her chest and announced, "I am perfectly capable of walking on my own." The boy did not move, and a small smirk appeared on his near perfect features. Oishi and Inui made their way over to Regina and Rachael. Eiji jokingly offered his arm to Ryoma "I'll walk with you chibi". It was the first time the girls heard 'mada, mada dane' come from the boys lips, but it wouldn't be the last. Finally Tezuka and Fuji joined Jessica to make up the rear and they were on their way. The walk was quiet, except for the casual banter between Ashley, Momoshiro and Kaido. Ashley could be put in the middle of a desert and she would be just as at ease with camels and sidewinders. Dinner was good, but conversation was way too tense. Ashley managed to get a few grins with her comparison of badminton to tennis. With her feigned innocence and sparkling blue eyes, no one seemed the least bit insulted at her comparison. Sitting next to Tezuka, Jessica had to ask herself if he wasn't part robot. He showed no emotion, but his deep voice and accented English enchanted her ears.

The next morning the girls had practice time at the gymnastics facility several blocks away. They walked carrying their gym bags, eager to get on the mats. Jessica started them all on the standard stretching exercises. She reminded everyone that no one was to mount any of the apparatus without a spotter. She then flipped on the boom box with the custom cd with the songs that they each liked to work out to. The girls finally lined up for the vault. Jessica remained at the vault, adjusted the springboard and stood aside as spotter. Their first vault was a simple handspring with a front pike. Regina went first and saw out of the corner of her eye the gym door open and their escorts from the previous night. She lost concentration, lost speed and only managed to hop over the vault. "I can't practice with them watching" she whined. "It's so distracting, Fuji is so cute and such a gentleman," she crooned. Rachael groaned, "could you maybe stop thinking of boys and more about gymnastics. Lord knows you're the one that needs this practice the most." Regina glared at Rachael. "Yeah Miss Perfect, I can't wait to be half as good as you are" she replied sarcastically. Jessica stepped forward immediately. "Stop, we are at practice, so practice. You've had an audience before. If you had been concentrating rather than watching what they were doing, we wouldn't be wasting time here. Now get back to work!"

Jessica walked over to the balance beam where coach was waiting. She took off her sweats as coach instructed her on the exercises she was to practice. Jessica chalked up. She concentrated on the beam and shut out everything around her before she did her unique mount. Standing at the side of the beam, she placed her hands flat on top of it, swung under the beam and back up to a press then into a handstand. Finally doing a walk over to her upright position. She did multiple back flips and a punch front. She gracefully turned and made her way back to the end of the beam. Once there she did a front flip and landed straddling the beam. She made another V press to a split then swung her body around to the prone position. Her chin on the beam she slowly arched her back and brought one leg back until her toe touched the beam over her head. She came back down and let one leg hang off the beam then went into another press into the upright position. She did a few balance maneuvers (spins & jumps). Back at the end of the beam she turned and prepared for her dismount. Three back flips into a front pike salto. Landing with her knees slightly bent she stuck the landing. It was then she heard Ashley "woo hooing" and clapping. She grabbed her sweats and jogged back to the bench to don them, high fiving her teammates. Ashley practiced her uneven bar routine. Such a small girl doing such physically draining exercises surprised a couple of audience members. When Ashley hit the high bar with her stomach muscles taking the full brunt, someone groaned. Ashley dismounted, releasing a second too quick and landed on her behind. She stood up immediately and bowed to the crowd, announcing that this new landing was being tested for future meets. Jessica busted up laughing with Ashley joining her. She whispered to her friend "you think they bought that?" Jessica nodded vigorously but the word "no" came out of her mouth. Another round of laughter ensued as Jessica threw Ashley's sweat jacket to land on top of her head.

Before long it was time for lunch. The girls all ordered salad with grilled chicken. Jessica happened to be sitting next to Inui this time. He told her he enjoyed the gymnastic routines and said something about becoming paralyzed if he ever tried to bend his body in some of those positions. Jessica laughed and picked up her napkin and wiped a bit of sauce from his bottom lip. As soon as she had done it, a frozen look came over her face. Blushing profusely, she apologized "I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that!" Inui blushed himself but smiled. "What comes next for you Jessica?" "Well, college" she said " some gymnastics but more for fun than anything else. I will be majoring in chemistry, most likely in the field of Pharmaceuticals." "Interesting" he said, "I'm somewhat of a chemist myself." Jessica leaned closer, all ears now. "I'm trying to make the ultimate vegetable/protein drink." "Trying being the keyword" added Roam from across the table. " I haven't had much luck with it, but my trials have become motivational on several levels". He glanced around at his teammates and they blanched. "So, you plan on making sports drinks?" "No, actually I was accepted at a school for a two year accelerated program in Statistics." Inui told her. "Wow, that's terrific, you must have a head for numbers." Inui beamed. "What school were you accepted at" Jessica asked. "Oxford, it's far from home, but it's only for two years, and I will still visit on breaks." Jessica's jaw dropped open a bit. "You say that matter of factly, like it's no big deal. Oxford is a very prestigious school, and very difficult to get into I might add, Mr. Just Inui." Jessica smiled at him as she recalled their introduction, how he had minimized himself, as he did just then. Inui smiled back at her. "I was speaking with your coach, it seems the meet's roster leaves a lot to be desired. I will be translating it and will put it in a format that you all will be able to understand. I should have it ready for your review tomorrow." "Arigato. I look forward to seeing you again." I'll be counting the minutes, to see you smile at me again, thought Inui


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning the girls had practice time at the gymnastics facility several blocks away. They walked carrying their gym bags, eager to get on the mats. Jessica started them all on the standard stretching exercises. She reminded everyone that no one was to mount any of the apparatus without a spotter. She then flipped on the boom box with the custom cd with the songs that they each liked to work out to. The girls finally lined up for the vault. Jessica remained at the vault, adjusted the springboard and stood aside as spotter. Their first vault was a simple handspring with a front pike. Regina went first and saw out of the corner of her eye the gym door open and their escorts from the previous night. She lost concentration, lost speed and only managed to hop over the vault. "I can't practice with them watching" she whined. "It's so distracting, Fuji is so cute and such a gentleman," she crooned. Rachael groaned, "could you maybe stop thinking of boys and more about gymnastics. Lord knows you're the one that needs this practice the most." Regina glared at Rachael. "Yeah Miss Perfect, I can't wait to be half as good as you are" she replied sarcastically. Jessica stepped forward immediately. "Stop, we are at practice, so practice. You've had an audience before. If you had been concentrating rather than watching what they were doing, we wouldn't be wasting time here. Now get back to work!"

Jessica walked over to the balance beam where coach was waiting. She took off her sweats as coach instructed her on the exercises she was to practice. Jessica chalked up. She concentrated on the beam and shut out everything around her before she did her unique mount. Standing at the side of the beam, she placed her hands flat on top of it, swung under the beam and back up to a press then into a handstand. Finally doing a walk over to her upright position. She did multiple back flips and a punch front. She gracefully turned and made her way back to the end of the beam. Once there she did a front flip and landed straddling the beam. She made another V press to a split then swung her body around to the prone position. Her chin on the beam she slowly arched her back and brought one leg back until her toe touched the beam over her head. She came back down and let one leg hang off the beam then went into another press into the upright position. She did a few balance maneuvers (spins & jumps). Back at the end of the beam she turned and prepared for her dismount. Three back flips into a front pike salto. Landing with her knees slightly bent she stuck the landing. It was then she heard Ashley "woo hooing" and clapping. She grabbed her sweats and jogged back to the bench to don them, high fiving her teammates. Ashley practiced her uneven bar routine. Such a small girl doing such physically draining exercises surprised a couple of audience members. When Ashley hit the high bar with her stomach muscles taking the full brunt, someone groaned. Ashley dismounted, releasing a second too quick and landed on her behind. She stood up immediately and bowed to the crowd, announcing that this new landing was being tested for future meets. Jessica busted up laughing with Ashley joining her. She whispered to her friend "you think they bought that?" Jessica nodded vigorously but the word "no" came out of her mouth. Another round of laughter ensued as Jessica threw Ashley's sweat jacket to land on top of her head.

Before long it was time for lunch. The girls all ordered salad with grilled chicken. Jessica happened to be sitting next to Inui this time. He told her he enjoyed the gymnastic routines and said something about becoming paralyzed if he ever tried to bend his body in some of those positions. Jessica laughed and picked up her napkin and wiped a bit of sauce from his bottom lip. As soon as she had done it, a frozen look came over her face. Blushing profusely, she apologized "I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that!" Inui blushed himself but smiled. "What comes next for you Jessica?" "Well, college" she said " some gymnastics but more for fun than anything else. I will be majoring in chemistry, most likely in the field of Pharmaceuticals." "Interesting" he said, "I'm somewhat of a chemist myself." Jessica leaned closer, all ears now. "I'm trying to make the ultimate vegetable/protein drink." "Trying being the keyword" added Roam from across the table. " I haven't had much luck with it, but my trials have become motivational on several levels". He glanced around at his teammates and they blanched. "So, you plan on making sports drinks?" "No, actually I was accepted at a school for a two year accelerated program in Statistics." Inui told her. "Wow, that's terrific, you must have a head for numbers." Inui beamed. "What school were you accepted at" Jessica asked. "Oxford, it's far from home, but it's only for two years, and I will still visit on breaks." Jessica's jaw dropped open a bit. "You say that matter of factly, like it's no big deal. Oxford is a very prestigious school, and very difficult to get into I might add, Mr. Just Inui." Jessica smiled at him as she recalled their introduction, how he had minimized himself, as he did just then. Inui smiled back at her. "I was speaking with your coach, it seems the meet's roster leaves a lot to be desired. I will be translating it and will put it in a format that you all will be able to understand. I should have it ready for your review tomorrow." "Arigato. I look forward to seeing you again." (I'll be counting the minutes, to see you smile at me again,) thought Inui


	4. Chapter 4

Jet lag finally caught up with Jessica. She slept in the next day until 9:00 am when Ashley woke her to tell her that her brother was on the phone. Disorientated and confused Jessica stumbled into the living area to get the phone. She didn't even notice the group seated in the dining area with an array of breakfast items in front of them. "Hello?" her voice still rough from sleep.

Inui felt like he just received a jolt to his senses. That one word, in that husky tone, and he suddenly wanted the world to disappear where he could be alone with just her. Something tugged at his insides as he watched her pace. Her hair was tousled, and she had the most alluring bedroom eyes at the moment. He shook himself mentally. He was staring.

Her brother did most of the talking; asking about her flight and if she was ok, continuing with making sure she was ready for the meet. Jessica replied with no more than 3 words at a time. Pacing, she turned around and finally noticed the group eating breakfast. Her first thought was 'I'm glad I didn't sleep in the raw last night.' "Ah, I'm sorry I didn't see you…good morning…emm..ohaya gozanimasu" she stammered. "Good Morning!" came the collective reply. Oh! Her brother was still talking, asking why she was talking Japanese. Sighing Jessica tucked the phone between her chin and ear, yawned and stretched. Her soft yoga pants hugged her hips, just barely covering her pelvis bones. As she stretched the tank she was wearing pulled up revealing her stomach area. It was Oishi's turn to stare at the small area of bared flesh, and belly button. He accidentally jarred Inui's elbow. Following Oishi's gaze, Inui felt the overwhelming urge to dump the orange juice into his friends lap.

Jessica finally hung up the phone and joined the group. She made herself a light and sweet coffee, helped herself to a generous portion of scrambled eggs and toast. "Isn't this nice Jessica?" asked Rachael "Samire and the guys brought all this stuff for us!" she crooned. "Arrigato" Jessica said before digging in. Jasmine smiled at Jessica's healthy appetite. While the others picked like birds, Jessica was not shy about eating most anything she wanted. Ryoma was on one side of her and Takashi on the other. "We watched the tapes of your Kantou matches last night" Connie chirped. Swallowing first Jessica said "y'all looked so good on the courts." "And. you played very well too," Ashley said smirking. Jessica looked up sharply and became a cute shade of pink. "Emm…yes…that's what I meant to say." Ryoma grinned. "Strange that admiring our looks and telling us we play well seem to be a close translation." He was up to mischief. Mindy made the "tsk" sound and frowned. "Oh please! How do you carry that extra large ego around on such a small frame?" she asked. "I may be small, but I'm still bigger than you chibi." He returned. "What did you call me?" she asked angrily. Momo laughed, "ok, ok you two. It's all in fun. Chibi is a small person…affectionately." Mindy looked at Ryoma with a soft "oh." Ryoma brazenly winked at her. Jessica finished her breakfast with half a grapefruit. "I'm going to go run some laps" she said to the girls "who's coming?" A chorus of groans went up, "we just ate!" "You don't have to, I was just being polite" she rose to go change. Inui cleared his throat, "it would be my pleasure.." "I'll go" Kaido interrupted, "to run with you if you don't mind" Inui finished, starring daggers at Kaido. "Great! I'll be ready in five."

So that started it. Both guys joined Jessica's morning run in the days that followed, even when she went at 7:00 am. That afternoon the girls went to watch the infamous Seigaku Tennis Club play against a neighboring school. The girls took it upon themselves to be their cheering section. They got the crowd going, especially when they did their 7-man "wave". They got the "wave" going with dozens of other fans every time a Seigaku player won a set. Ashley only had eyes for Momoshiro. She got angry glares from girls, probably ones that had crushes on him like she did. Jasmine and Samire watched the group noting the subtle changes in acceptance and friendship between the two sexes. What really stood out to Jasmine, and surprised her the most was the Inui/Jessica relationship. By all accounts an outsider would assume the pair had known each other for a long time. When Inui had come off the court, Jessica had been there to give a hug, a water bottle and towel to him. Inui had smiled down at her tenderly. Tenderly? That was not at all what Jasmine had been expecting. She looked over at the handsome, brooding captain and thought, that's what she had been expecting!


	5. Chapter 5

The day finally arrived for the Invitational. It was a two-day event. The atmosphere in the hotel suites was hushed with underlying tension. The girls packed their gear and their brand new uniforms. Of course, they were red, white and blue. The leotard was red and white stripes running diagonally to the waist. From the waist down it was navy blue. Their sweats were all white except for the small flag patch on the left arm. The mini bus was out front waiting to take them to the meet. The girls were surprised when Eiji greeted them. "We will be your cheer section … go…go…USA" The girls smiled at his exuberance. "We have the best seats in the house" interjected Oishi, "right behind you!"

When they arrived the girls changed and did some warm ups. They wouldn't get really serious with stretching until they saw the line up. The co-captains had their usual "before the meet ritual" which was French braiding each other's hair. The crowd was larger than they thought it would be. There was no smiling and joking. All the girls were serious and silent. At the bench Ashley and Jessica met with coach. She was going over a chart with Inui. Jessica looked at her questioningly. "It's the rotation schedule Jess, the one the committee drew up was so damn confusing. Inui translated it and put it in a simpler format." Ashley smiled at Inui, "it's brilliant," she said. Inui adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Arigato" Jessica said smiling at him. Inui beamed. Tesuke stood up and wished each girl well, lingering near a very pale and uptight Rachael. He said something to her quietly and she smiled and nodded.

According to the rotation Jessica was third on the first event, parallel bars. Jess went to a practice mat to warm up. Back at the bench she looked for her gym bag. With shaking hands she pulled out her leather grips. Fumbling with the straps, she took a deep breath. get your shit together The grips were taken from her. Jessica startled out of her internal battle, looked up into Inui's face. He took her left hand and deftly buckled the grips. "Good?" he asked. Jessica flexed her hand. "Perfect." He then put the grip on her right hand. "Good?" She flexed. "Perfect." Jessica stepped out of her sweats; Inui was there to collect them and fold them neatly then place them on the bench. Eiji and Oishi exchanged glances. Jessica was chalking up. She stood at the sideline and began her process of blocking out everything around her. When the gymnast dismounted, Jessica trotted over to the bars. Standing straight she greeted the judges. A spotter came forward to boost her to the high bar. Starting her routine from a hanging position, she pulled herself up and over the high bar, continuing around twice straight-armed to gain momentum. She stopped dead top center of the high bar for a handstand. She circled the high bar again to prepare for her transition move to the low bar. Coming off the high bar in a straddle split her feet and hands making contact with the low bar at the same moment, she circled the bar, stopping on top, and in an upright position. Leaping to the high bar she did a simple hip pull over. She circled the high bar twice more and when at top dead center did a 1-½ giant (release one hand turn to opposite direction). Going around the bar backwards, about ¾ way around she released both hand to put them in the forward direction. Circling the high bar 3 more times straight-armed she prepared for her dismount. Salto with a full twist. Her routine was flawless except for the half step she took on the landing. The crowd noises came back to her as she waved and jogged back to the bench. Angry with herself for the fault, she yanked the first strap of her grip with her teeth to get it off. Inui appeared in front of her and took her hand unhooked the grips, handed her sweat jacket and a towel. He told her it was a great routine and because of the difficulty rating of two of her moves she would most likely score very well. Jessica stared at him as he handed her the sweat pants. Seeing her look, Inui adjusted his glasses and said "research." Later that day she would pull a 10 on the beam. Inui was there hugging and congratulating her. In the excitement, the team high fiving, etc Inui handed Jessica a drink. She drank it down quickly as the entire Saigaku team watched in horror. She handed the glass back with thanks. When she glanced up, feeling eyes on her, they were staring. Jessica looked down at herself to make sure everything was covered appropriately, shrugged her shoulders and walked off.

"I call this my Super Gymnastic Love Juice," he said smiling. Ryoma's eyes were wide. "Love Juice?" "Ah, Gymnastic Love Juice" he repeated. Momoshiro suddenly looked enlightened. "Ryoma, I think our sempai may be in loo-oovveee," as he placed Ryoma in a headlock. Oishi acted surprised. "They have been spending some time together but I think it's just common interests." "And he likes to help her dress" chimed in Eiji. "Oishi sempai doesn't think Inui is in love" Ryoma deadpanned. "Oh yes!" said Momo gleefully "he can't stop looking at her, he touches her whenever he can without it seeming inappropriate, ahhhh…the joy of youth." "Momo sempai?" Ryoma asked, "aren't you younger than Inui sempai?" "yes of course kiddo, but I keep my senses." "ohhh" began Ryoma "like last night when you guided Ashley across the street like an old lady?" "Ashley is delicate and small," explained Momo "one has to be gentle with such fragile beauty." Ryoma rolled his eyes. "Momo, Ashley is a gymnast, she has more muscles than you!" Kaido chuckled behind them. "Did you want to start something Viper?" He said aggressively. "No Momoshiro, you must save your strength," Kaido said while walking away. " How dare that guy?" Momo fumed.

The next days' meet went nearly flawlessly for the US Team. Rachael having lost footing on the beam took major deductions. But, they ended up in second place. They were a bit disappointed but coach said that they had done very well for their first International meet.

The next morning all the girls joined their coach for coffee and a meeting. "I will be leaving with Samire for a few days, we are meeting up with some college mates. You will be in good hands for sightseeing and shopping while I am away. I know that all of you will be gracious. I will only be gone 3 or 4 days so enjoy this time off. I insist on 2 hours of strenuous exercise per day, 1 hour of stretching exercises. No excuses." The girls all nodded in compliance.

Later that day Ashley declared a shopping day. "Fuji, Momo (mo-mo?) and Inui are available. I have Fuji's number. Is one hour enough time to get ready?" Ashley made the call. When the boys arrived Connie, Tracy & Regina decided to pass on the shopping. They were going across the street to the theater. They walked casually for a bit towards the shopping district. Once there the girls window-shopped until they saw something that made them want to enter the shops. At one shop in the window was a beautiful emerald green kimono with gold embroidery. Jessica stared at the beautiful garment for a long while before deciding it was way too extravagant and moving on. They bought some clothes and made the three boys suffer through their fashion show as they tried on multiple outfits. Fuji stood near the changing room swapping pieces of clothing that the girls wanted to try on once they saw how it looked on someone else. When Rachael asked if a skirt made her butt look big, Fuji put his hand to his chin and examined her for several seconds before being the perfect gentleman saying, "no, not at all." Ashley patted him on the back when Rachael went back in the changing room. "You lie very well, that's so sweet." Jessica laughed and winked at Fuji, "I bet you have sisters." Fuji chuckled and took his position as clothes swapper.

Jessica asked Inui to find a bookshop with English titles. He took her there and they spent more than two hours reading excerpts from 100s of textbooks, tourism and history. Jessica made several purchases with the help of Inui who calculated the currency for her and showed her what to pay out of her wad of cash. They left the bookshop ready to meet up for tea at the agreed upon location. Inui insisted on carrying both his and her purchases. A rushing pedestrian passed Jessica jolting her shoulder hard. She was thrown into Inui as she lost her balance. Dropping the parcels Inui's strong arms wrapped around Jessica and pulled her close. "Are you all right?" his deep voice rumbled through his chest. Jessica was eye level with his collarbone; she hadn't realized she had reached up to clutch his shoulders. "Emmm…yes…I (damn! He smells good) I'm fine " she stammered. His arms were still around her when her eyes met his "Thank you" (wow!) She felt the contours of muscle beneath her fingertips, and noticed his very muscular thighs pressing against her. "Oh course," he said finally removing his arms. Inui looked down at her for several more seconds before adjusting his glasses and picking up the dropped parcels.

The next day Inui and Momo took Ashley and Jessica to dinner and a movie. They had an excellent time laughing and joking around. It was dark when they cut through the park back to their hotel. Seeing the ducks on the pond they stopped to watch the ducklings following their mother. Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye Jessica caught Momo leaning down and kissing Ashley. As it became a deeper kiss, Jessica blushed and gulped. (woo hoo way to go Ash!) Inui looked in the direction Jessica was staring "ah" he murmured.

Inui and Jessica made plans to meet for an early morning run. They met in front of the hotel and did multiple laps around the park. According to Inui they had run 5.27 miles. After showering and changing clothes the entire group met up for some historical site seeing. They must have taken 100s of photographs. They had a blast. For dinner they went for sushi, not knowing what they were getting themselves into joined the boys in a toast with wasabi. Mindy started coughing and gasping for air. Ryoma tried to be helpful by pounding on her back. She finally turned to him and belted him in the shoulder. Everyone was laughing. Ashley had tears running down her face. Tezuka pulled out a clean and perfectly folded handkerchief and handed it to her. "I'm ok…just hot" Fuji smiled at the general discomfort of them all. "That was delicious, no?" "No!" piped in Rachael. He laughed. Tezuka noticed Inui's attentiveness to Jessica and mentally shrugged. It's so easy for him, he thought. Why can't it be easier for me? Tezuka looked at the sparkling eyes of Ashley. When she laughed at something Momo said, his heart felt like it had been squeezed.

Jessica and Inui fell behind on the walk back to the hotel. The park was quiet. They passed the swing set and Jessica paused. "Go on, I'll push," said Inui smiling. Instead she pulled him to the swings. "We'll go together," she said. "Huh?" Inui questioned as she pushed him into the swing and he fell back onto the seat. Jessica grabbed the chains above his head and pulled herself up onto his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist. "Let's see how high we can go," she said laughing at the surprised look on his face. Inui set the swing in motion; Jessica leaned back to gain momentum. She was oblivious to the fact that every time she did that her groin would push against his. He however, noticed. They finally got off the swing. Jessica smiled as they walked to a stand of trees. "Thank you Inui, for such a wonderful day!" She turned to face him "I had a lot of fun." Inui was suddenly very close to her; she took a step back and was against a tree trunk. "I want to…" Inui managed before leaning down to capture her lips with his. Jessica's eyes were wide. (His lips are so soft) They parted and Inui's forehead touched hers. "I had a very nice time too," he said looking into her eyes. Jessica touched her lips and looked at his. He took this as his que to kiss her again. He felt her arms loop around his neck as he licked her lips. She shuddered (ah, yes) Then Inui softly pushed his tongue in. She opened her mouth and their tongues met. His arms went around her; he felt another tremor run through her. Her nails gently scraped through the hair on the nape of his neck. He murmured into her mouth pressing his body against hers. Jessica gripped his shoulders when the kiss became intense. She began to kiss him back, playing with his tongue and nipping his bottom lip. Inui broke away "we can't, I can't.." It was Jessica's turn to be surprised. "You have a girlfriend, then?" she stated quietly. "No..no I don't but I can't make love to you here, it wouldn't be right." She looped her arms around his neck again. "Then just another kiss, the first one was so wonderful, I want another one." She took his lips and became the aggressor, pushing her tongue into his mouth. When they finally pulled apart they both were panting and Jessica was weak in the knees. "Let's go back," she said grasping his large hand.

"Inui sempai" Momo exclaimed, "we were wondering where you were." "I went to the park with Jessica… I wonder if … she'll have dinner with me tomorrow?" The room gaped at him as if he had grown two heads.

At dinner they both had a bit of Saki. A bit was all Jessica needed to start glowing. The rest of the gang had made different plans for the evening. The suites were empty when Inui brought Jessica back. "Shall I stay a bit?" asked Inui. "Sure, can you give me the Readers Digest version of this?" Jessica asked holding up a newspaper, "we can go in my room," she said. "It would be my pleasure, but first, what is Reader's Digest?" They lay side by side on their stomachs while Inui translated the latest world news. Jess watched his lips. He read her a cartoon strip, which made her laugh, and she rolled onto her back with her hands behind her head. He read for a while longer. When he stopped and looked up, Jessica met his gaze. He moved closer to her and gave her a kiss. "I'm so comfortable with you Inui," she whispered. He traced her collarbone with a fingertip and kissed her again, deeper this time. She sighed into his mouth and finally let herself touch him. She started at his muscular, well rounded shoulders, over his biceps, which were absolutely perfect, down to his rock solid fore arms. Inui broke the kiss and looked down at her "You are lovely Jessica." Jessica breathed deeply and moved to kiss his neck; her hand trembled as it moved over his pecs, when her hand crossed over his nipples they hardened. Inui took her hand and placed it under his shirt on his bare skin. (He is so warm) Her hands grazed his nipples again then lowered to his muscular abdomen. When she went past his navel he grabbed her hand to stop her. He intertwined their fingers as he decided to explore her some more.

As he kissed her collarbone his hand went to the buttons of her blouse. He undid a few buttons and kissed the top mounds of her breasts. She had a lacy bra on, and he could see her pretty pert nipples pushing against the fabric. Jessica moaned softly and arched her back; Inui used this opportunity to deftly unhook her bra. He moved it off and cupped her breasts rubbing his thumbs across the nipples before taking one into his mouth and sweetly started torturing her. She grasped his shirt and pulled it over his head. Inui groaned as she traced a fingertip down his spine to his belt. Inui continued his torture as Jessica took ragged breaths. "Inui… I want …please" "Shhhh" he answered "I know." Inui unbuttoned and pulled off her khakis. He uncovered pretty pink lacy panties. His hand splayed out across her flat stomach he looked at her long enough so she blushed. "Beautiful" he whispered. Jessica felt like she was drowning in this sweet sensation, but she didn't care, she wanted more. She reached for his belt and he stopped her hand once again, "mada mada dane."

He captured her lips once more and ravished her mouth. Jessica made little sounds in the back of her throat that made him crazy with desire. His hand slipped under the top of her panties and through the soft, silky hair to her folds. She was wet for him. He started sweating and trembling trying to restrain his surging desire. He rubbed the little nubbin he had read so much about when he was curious about sex. He did his research. When Jessica arched toward his hand, Inui pulled her panties off. He got up then and locked the door. He put his glasses on the bedside table. Jessica reached for him; he came down on her with one leg between her thighs. He kissed a trail down to her navel, and kneeled above her and spread her thighs. Jessica sat up quick. "Inui?" He growled something and lowered his head. Spreading her folds, he touched the nubbin with his tongue. The urge to taste her overwhelmed him. "Inui…I don't think…Oh God!" she cried out as he flicked the now swollen bud. Her hips bucked, but his strong arms held her down. She was barraged with spikes of pleasure in her lower belly. Inui was nearly undone by her passionate response. He lifted his hips and rid himself of his binding trousers and boxers. He positioned himself between Jessica's thighs. Jessica stared at his member. "Inui, I don't think…" he kissed her "to work." He placed the head of his penis at her hot entrance, he was barely inside when his body went against his mind and he entered her. He felt the barrier give as he plunged the rest of the way in. Inui stilled with a stricken look upon his face. Jessica was struggling to push him away " No, I can't…it's too big" as she choked on a sob. "It's too late Jessica, way too late. You should have told me you were a virgin, I can't undo this." Jessica tried to push him away, as a tear slid down the side of her face. "Relax, it will be all right" he tried to comfort her. After a few minutes of kissing, Jessica did relax and when she moved slightly she realized the pain was gone. "Please Inui don't be angry with me, I wanted to do this." "I'm NOT angry," he said through gritted teeth. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. "Stop squirming." Jessica looped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for an aggressive kiss. She moved her hips again. Inui hissed. "I can't stop now, " he said apologetically. "I don't want you to stop." Inui moved in and out of her tight warmth slowly. Never had he experienced such pleasure. He began pushing himself faster and harder, not being able to stop his body from doing it. When Jessica wrapped her muscular legs tightly around his waist, Inui gasped as she took more of him. He reached down between their bodies and massaged her sweet bud. Jessica responded immediately. She gripped his shoulders, her nails scoring him. She turned her head and bit his bicep. As wave after wave of the orgasm hit her, she cried out his name over and over. Inui lost control and pounded her a few more times before filling her with his seed. Jessica was panting but limp as a rag doll as he moved off of her. He pulled her to him, spooning with her. He wondered if his heartbeat could be heard downstairs. Jessica sighed with contentment and snuggled closer to him, soon drifting off to sleep. Internally Inui struggled with the fact that he took her virginity. He suddenly felt as if he had been splashed with ice water. NO CONDOM his mind yelled.

Inui heard the sounds of voices coming into the suite. He calmly dressed making sure he left nothing behind. He pulled the blankets up and over Jessica, but not before noticing the small smears of blood on the sheets. He had to think. First he had to get out of there! He went to the sliding door that opened to the balcony. He slide it open quietly and shut it the same way as he left. There were four balconies to pass to get to the fire escape. Luckily they were only 5 feet apart. He easily leapt from one across to the next. It took him less than two minutes… no…it was 1 minute 42 seconds.

It wasn't until the next day that he had to come up with some answers. In the shower after tennis practice he heard a low whistle next to him. "What happened to you Inui sempai?" Kaidoh asked. "Huh?" He saw Kaidoh looking at his shoulder. " Oh that! It's nothing. One of the cats in the neighborhood was running from a dog. It mistook me for a tree I guess."

Several pairs of eyes looked at the score marks, but were hesitant to ask about the bite mark on his bicep. Inui grabbed a towel and left the shower. "That must have been one big cat," remarked Momo. "A hungry one too, it would seem," added Tezuka.


	6. Chapter 6

The groups did not meet the following day. The girls wanted a rest day. Inui woke up hard as a rock. He pictured Jessica in the throws of passion as he pleasured himself. Later that day after the third time of getting himself off, Inui's penis was sore from his over abuse. Damn it! All he had to do was think of her and he lost control. He wished he had more experience. The last few years he had been ignoring blatant invitations of intercourse. He just wasn't interested in the wham-bam-thank you-maam of casual sex. Inui smiled as he pictured Jessica, hearing her voice in her head "I don't think …I can't it's too big." Once she has adjusted to his size, they were perfect together. What was he to do when she went back to the States? She was his! He made her his! " I don't want her to go," he said to his computer. Inui was quiet during dinner with his parents. They tried to engage him, but he was obviously somewhere else. "I'm going out for a while." He told them when he rose from the table. "Be careful son." "Hai". "I wonder what's going on with him," Inui's mother asked her husband. "With the way he was acting, it can only be one thing" he said " a female." Inui's father said with a grin.

Jessica's phone was ringing. "This is the front desk. A package has arrived for you. Would you like me to send the concierge to deliver it to you?" "Oh! Yes ..please..and thank you." Jessica paced wondered what the package could be. Minutes later a knock at the door, and the concierge stood there with a rather large parcel in his hands. "Thank you so much" Jessica said taking the parcel. She took it to her room and opened it carefully. Her jaw dropped open. Inside was the beautiful green kimono she had been admiring on their shopping trip. There was a book, titled, "The Kama Sutra" and a note._ Can't stop thinking of you. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow at 8:00? I'll pick you up. Much love, Inui. _I can't stop thinking about you either, Jessica said to herself. What am I going to do? I'm going home soon. She opened the book and blushed. She was soon engrossed in the many methods of pleasuring the opposite sex.

They had a cozy corner table at the restaurant. Inui took her hand in his, his calloused thumb rubbing the top of her hand. "Jessica… what we did" he began. "Wait Inui! If you have regrets just tell me. We don't have to take this further. We had a moment and quite honestly it was a great one," she said. Inui sat up straighter. "No. You are jumping to conclusions," he reprimanded. Pointing to himself he said, "I do not have regrets. I am angry for not being prepared, and for not having the presence of mind to get prepared. I didn't bring protection." Jessica gulped. "Well, since it was my first time you don't have to worry about STDs." Jessica blushed. "You were MY first also." Jessica stared into his green eyes with surprise. Inui nodded, "I was very curious about sex for years now. I did the research, collected data here and there and that's how I learned certain things," he said matter of factly. "Every time I think of you, this is what happens." He pulled her hand down to his zipper where his erection was straining against his jeans. "I wanted and still want you more than anything, but we must be careful. If you were to get pregnant…" Inui trailed off as Jessica pulled away from him stiffly. "That's hardly likely." "No it's about 83 percent likely." He returned. Jessica glared at him. "Because I am a gymnast and push my body to its limits, my cycles have never been regular" she hissed. "But since you're so worried about it, let me reassure you that you need not let something like that inconvience you!" Jessica was angry. Inui was angrier. "Don't say things like that," he warned, "my concerns are not about MY inconvience as you so politely put it. My concern was the inconvience to you!"

" Inui you told me that in September you would be accepting the scholarship at Oxford. Two years of accelerated statistical courses, which would normally take 4 years. It is a dream come true to be accepted there. I would never do anything to take away such an opportunity for you. Trust me, this worry is for nothing." "Jessica…you need to know that I care what happens to you." Jessica silenced him with a kiss. "I'm going to miss you Inui Sadaharu," she said sadly.

"Just because you go home soon, it no way implies that you and I are finished here. I don't want that, and I hope you are in agreement with me." " I don't want anyone else," she whispered.

When they arrived back at the hotel Inui had a surprise for her. He had rented a room. "Don't worry Ashley will cover for you. I did this because I want you all to myself…no interruptions and I want to wake up with you beside me." His statement left no room for argument. Jessica surprised herself by inwardly admitting that it turned her on to have a man take charge, and not accept no for an answer. She also realized that if Inui wanted something, he would work until his last breath to get it.

Inui filled the bathtub and added some bubbles. He undressed, and then undressed her. He slid into the hot water and pulled her in. She snuggled in the middle of his thighs. He cupped water and let it run off her shoulders. She shivered and he pulled her closer to him. He cupped her breasts, gently pinching the hardened tips, making her gasp. He pushed her hair away to expose the nape of her neck, nuzzling her, then kissing her. (mine!) (how can he make me burn so easily?) He started soaping her up; his gentle caresses soothed her, yet made her lower belly tingle with anticipation. Feeling his erection at the small of her back she turned towards him and repeated on him, what he had done to her. He leaned back and closed his eyes. She soaped up her hands and slipped them both over his cock. He moaned but didn't open his eyes. She stroked him with both hands, her thumb grazing the head before continuing the descent. Her grip became tighter, and her strokes faster as the engorged member hardened and lengthened during her stroking. He finally had to stop her or he would lose it, right into her hand. He gathered her into his arms, with both of them dripping wet, he deposited her on the middle of the bed. Jessica writhed with pleasure as he kissed, licked and sucked just about every inch of her. Totally hot and horny, she sat up and pushed him onto his back. She straddled him and kissed him deeply. She drove him mad with the kisses and nips to his upper body, but when she kissed the head of his penis he nearly jumped out of his skin. Wanting to make him burn, like she was, she licked and probed the sensitive head. She took him as far as she could into her mouth, applying vacuum. Inui's hands were now in her hair. Her hair was tickling the soft sensitive area of his upper thighs. She wrapped her hand around him below her mouth to give him more pleasure over a larger area. Her mouth following her hand in its slow and mind blowing progress up and down his shaft. With her other hand, she curiously touched his sack, palming it and stroking the two testicles. Inui released a low growl from the depths of his chest. He widened his thighs not wanting her to stop. Jessica released his sack and said a mental thank you for the kama sutra. She lowered her hand to her own wetness and pushed in her middle finger. Covered in the pearly liquid, she brought it up and slipped it in slowly into his tight hole. Inui shouted and stiffened, but she didn't stop. She finally located and felt his prostrate gland. "Ahhhh" he groaned if I don't stop her I'm going to cum in her mouth He grabbed her suddenly and drew her up to kiss her. His eyes were blazing and his kiss was hard and fierce. He not so gently flipped her onto her stomach, pulled her hips up and leaned over her. He whispered "I am so hard for you, I'm going to fuck you until you scream." She shuddered and pushed her hips back towards him. She was so turned on now she wanted it all. He pushed himself into her and hearing her gasp stopped so she could adjust to his size. His deep voice next to her ear sent shivers down her spine. "You like my big cock, don't you? Should I stop?" "No! Don't stop!" she nearly screamed. "Then tell me what you want." He growled. "I want…I want you to fuck me, and I want you to fuck me hard." Inui nearly lost it there. Elated that she liked the "dirty talk" as much as he did, he continued. "Rub your clit, I want your muscles to clench my cock, and I want you dripping wet." He commanded. She did as she was told and cried out in pleasure as he began moving inside her. As he began to go faster she started thrusting her hips back to meet him. "Ah, you want more?" He stilled. "Don't stop!" she cried out. He chuckled and put his hand down where hers was still rubbing that nubbin of pleasure. "Someday, you're going to do that while I sit back and watch." He whispered, wetting his fingers in her juices. Jessica's face burned with embarrassment or excitement. "Please Inui, please, I want more." Inui moaned and started moving again, this time harder and faster. He knew he couldn't last much longer. He slipped his wet finger into her tight ass. Jessica went into spasms as Inui pounded her now. Jessica cried out "fuck me" as the first wave of orgasm hit her. All her muscles tighten and Inui lost it. He was nearly pounding her into the bed with the force he used, to send his seed deep inside her.

They made love on and off through the night with reckless abandon. Inui's attentiveness to her pleasure made her spiral into orgasm every time. Near exhaustion after she peaked for the fourth time that night, Jessica sobbed. The release so strong, it brought out raw emotions she always hid. He wrapped his strong arms around her as she shook with tremors, her tears wetting his bare chest. He kissed her hair and forehead, telling her he loved her. Her voice hitched as she told him she loved him too. " Don't cry everything will be all right." "I know" she whispered her eyelids drooping with the need to sleep. "It's good, I never imagined it to be like this. You're so … amazing ..I …don't want to …lose you." She trailed off. Her breathing slowed and became even as she slept. "You won't lose me, you're mine." He said to her sleeping form. He watched her sleep for a while, before falling off himself.

He was awoken sometime around dawn, his heart swelled as his tousled lover straddled him and impaled herself on his erection. "Heaven," was his last coherent thought.

He needed a plan. Otherwise he would go mad, just letting her leave. His analytical mind tried to come up with a sure way to keep her with him. It just wasn't working. Oxford. Jessica. Oxford for 2 years. Jessica. Forget Oxford. Need a means to support them. OK, Oxford. He punched the cherry tree he was standing next to in frustration. He was home, in the garden fighting with himself. His father startled him from his thoughts, "just what could that tree have done to make you so angry?" he asked. Inui turned to him sheepishly. "I was just thinking." His father waited, the silence lengthening. "Son, is there something I can do to help?" He sat on a bench and waited. Inui joined him. Resting his elbows on his knees he steepled his fingers. "Dad .. I need .. I mean…I want …something. But, I don't know how to get it without giving up something else." His father watched flowers as they danced in the light breeze. He waited. Inui got up and started pacing. "I don't want to let her go. I want her now and always." His father let out a breath, knowing that this was going to be tricky. It was Inui's turn to wait. "I can understand your feelings. But let's look at this one step at a time. You have an opportunity to go to a great school, and then you'll have great potential for a very good job. You will need that to take care of your family, once you decide to have one." "I already decided I will have her!" Inui broke in, his fists clenched. His father held up his hand. "Wait. What about her then? Will you have her give up what she had been striving for?" Inui thought about it and sighed. "How can I do this?" he asked exasperated. "It doesn't all have to happen in one day," continued his father "both of you should continue with your existing plans, then as the schooling ends the other things just fall into place. Also, it will give you both time to contemplate spending the rest of your lives together. Inui, this is your first real love. Give yourself time. See if you feel the same in two years." Inui sat again, holding his head in his hands, "you're right of course dad, but I can't stand it, knowing I can't be with her that long of a time." His father patted him on the shoulder as he stood to leave. "If you both feel as deeply as you do, then won't it be perfect to have the means to take very good care of her, when that time comes?"

Jessica tried to be stoic, and was doing very well until they reached the gate where they had to part ways. As the team moved passed her, her legs felt like lead, as she turned to Inui one last time. She hugged him and didn't let go. Her voice choked up. "I'll miss you." "Jessica." He managed. She kissed him then, a lingering one, with tears streaming down her face. They broke apart; Inui held her chin and looked into her eyes "everything will be all right. We'll be together again, I promise." She ran past the gate before she would start weeping and clinging to him. He said it would be all right, so it will be.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hello?" Jessica said. "I miss you" came the reply. "Inui! I miss you too. How are you?" "Lonely, but busy" he replied. "Me too" she replied. "I'm packing for college, I found a place to rent there." "Very good, I'm packing as well. I leave next week," Inui said. "Why so soon?" "I need to get settled, registered, and brush up on the Queen's English." Jessica laughed. "Just add a U to all words that have an O in them, and add E's on everything." Inui laughed with her. "Jessica… once I get there, I don't know what's going to happen. I do know that I will be buried in studies." "Don't worry" Jessica cut in, "just email me when you can if you want. I will be busy too and I don't have a telephone number yet." "I just don't want you to think I had forgotten about you. I will never forget my promise that we will be together again." "I know Inui, you need to get focused for this though, and you'll be under an enormous amount of stress." "I will be all right … I love you." He said quickly. "I love you too, Inui."

She moved away from home, sitting in her small house with piles of boxes surrounding her, Jessica felt tears sting her eyes. She let herself cry. It's stress from moving. Instead of sitting here crying, she should set up her bed so she could fall into it. She was dead tired and sore from all the lifting and toting.

She woke up the next day staring at the ceiling until her brain registered where she was. Time to get up and find the coffee pot, she thought. She sat up and felt very dizzy. She swung her legs off the bed to stand up and immediately knew she was going to vomit. She ran to the bathroom where she spent the next half hour retching. She moved slowly unpacking, afraid to eat or drink anything. She finished hanging up her clothes and realized she was famished. She grabbed a yogurt and a pear and wolfed them down.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" she asked the toilet. For three weeks she was sick nearly every morning. "It's got to be stress …the studying, my job at the lab at night." Jessica took a job at a Bayer pharmaceutical research and development facility. She was only a tech assistant, but it was a start. Jessica recalled her conversation with the tech she worked with last night. He was married and had 3 kids, and he enjoyed his work. He told her she looked like she needed more sleep. She said she definitely needed that, but wished the stomach bug she had would go away. "I didn't know you weren't feeling well," he said. "I feel fine now, it just hits me in the morning. Maybe I just eat too late," she pondered. "Or maybe it's morning sickness," he said laughing. Jessica paled (think, think, last period?) "Nahhh" she thought, "I'm never regular." For ha ha's she would stop by the pharmacy later on.

Two pink lines, she reread the instructions a third time, two pink lines equal pregnant. She wanted to call him, but he only had a dorm phone that no one answered. She sat down to email him, and then deleted it. Knowing he was deep in his studies, she suddenly felt like it wouldn't be right to contact him. Knowing Inui he would leave school immediately. No, she wouldn't tell him yet. She had to tell someone, so she called her best friend Ashley. Ashley was stunned and disagreed about not contacting him, but Jessica remained firm and asked for her friend's confidence. "Call me if you need me Jess." "Thanks Ash."

Time flies …….


	8. Chapter 8

Jessica pulled the car into the driveway and shut off the motor. She smiled as her young son ran towards her, calling out "Mama!" She got out of the car and scooped him up and set him on her hip. He tolerated the kiss to his forehead and cheek. "Inui have you been good for Obaasan?" He nodded vigorously before squirming to get down. "Ball!" he said pointing to the soccer ball. "Go get it, I'll play," she said. He toddled to the ball and tried to kick it only to land on his behind. His face clouded over immediately. Jessica had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. She began walking towards him, but stopped as his green eyes blazed at her. "Me do!" he shrieked. His little foot made contact this time sending the ball about two feet. Gia came off the porch clapping telling Inui in Japanese what a strong handsome boy he was.

Jessica was tired. Thank God for Gia Narita and her husband Hyou. She and her husband were an elderly couple who lived across the street from them. Seeing the young girl struggle with a baby on her own, Gia introduced herself and offered to lend a hand. Now Gia came to the house regularly to help with preparing meals, cleaning, and laundry all while looking after Inui. Jessica had a full schedule with her courses during the day then work at the lab. She made sure to spend as much time with her babe as she could. She gave him his bath daily and read his bedtime story. Sometimes they would sit in the rocking chair together, him cuddled on her lap with his head tucked under her chin and his thumb in his mouth as she told him stories of Super Heroes, Ninja and Samurai. He loved that stuff.

She had stopped with the 'what ifs' over a year ago. There was no point to them. Still she often wondered what Inui was doing … he should be out of school soon. She also wondered if she had made the right choice in not telling him about his son. She had left the big named school for a small community college because of money issues. There were no more gymnastics in her life. With the birth of Inui her entire life had changed. She had been asked out on several times, but she politely declined. No one would ever replace Inui, who was wedged into her heart. She wondered how he would take the news … maybe he wouldn't want anything to do with us?

Gia worried over Jessica to her husband. "It's too much for her," she explained "she stays up late studying, I don't know how many time I have woken her up at the kitchen table, asleep on her textbooks!" "She's young Gia, she will be all right" Hyou said trying to ease her worry. "No! She won't be all right. She has lost weight. I make her food and she barely touches it. She needs someone to help out, she needs to get married!" "Gia" her husband said in a warning tone "no meddling". Being genuinely concerned for her "daughter", despite her husbands wishes that she not meddle, she found Jessica's address book and called up her best friend.

Ashley listened to what the old woman had to say and told her she would think about it and decide what to do. Ashley sank into her sofa thinking hard. How could Jessica just get it into her head that she could handle everything on her own? Inui was the boys' father; didn't he at least have the right to know? Yes, Inui had great potential and had taken the accelerated courses at Oxford, but would he have just turned his back on them if had known? The Inui I met wouldn't have done that, Ashley said to herself. She picked up the phone to call Jasmine Roland, who then called Samire Ryzuki. The ball was rolling and nothing was going to stop it now.

Inui had been back home now for a week, he just had a successful job interview with a huge corporation, he was excited to tell his parents about it. When he walked into the house it surprised him to see his former coach. "Inui I came to talk with you," she said "we can go for a walk or go out into the garden if you like." "Hmm .. this sounds serious, you can talk freely with my parents here," he said. "There is no delicate way to put this" Samire paused "you have a son." The room was silent. Inui sat back and looked at Samire. "Yes, Inui, as far as I know it is true. Jessica Taylor had your child." Inui clenched his fist, "Jessica" he whispered. Inui's face darkened. "I'm fine Inui, I'm doing very well Inui, school is fine Inui," he said in a mocking angry tone about his mini emails from Jessica. "Son" his father started. "No father, I want to know why she didn't tell me" he slammed his fist on the table. "According to the people around her, she wanted you to concentrate on school. She did not want to be a burden to you." Samire answered. "A burden? A BURDEN?" he stormed. "Inui please" his mother interjected "could this child really be yours then?" "How old is he?" Inui asked. "He's nearly 2 ½ ." "Then yes, he could very well be my son," he answered more quietly now. He left the room and came back moments later changed into sweats. "What's his name?" he asked from the doorway. Samire cleared her throat and looked down. "His name is Inui." They heard the front door open and close. Samire left a phone number with Inui's parents. It was the old women's number. "She is the one who contacted us, not Jessica. As a matter of fact Jessica doesn't know that we have done this."

An hour later Inui retuned home, he was sweating and breathing heavy from his anger induced run. "I'm going there" he stated, "If I am the father, I imagine I have some rights." "Inui, it was a stupid thing for her to do, but she did it with your best interest in mind." Inui's eyes were glassy, "we shared so much, and I don't understand why she did this for my sake. I would have been there, where I would have belonged, had I known." Inui choked. "Maybe I'm not in the picture anymore, maybe she doesn't want me to be with her." Inui's mother was crying. "Maybe that's not it at all, you both need to talk this out. Maybe she loves you very much and just wanted to do the best thing for you."

It was Sunday when he pulled up in the taxi, at the address of Hyou and Gia Riata. He grabbed his bag, paid for the cab and leapt up the porch stairs. He knocked, and then knocked again. An old man finally opened the door. "I am Inui Sadaharu," he stated. "Hajimemashite? Watashi no namae wa Riata, Hyou desu. (how do you do? My name is … ") Replied the old man, looking up at the tall man filling his doorway. "It's ok, I speak English. Can you tell me where Jessica Taylor is?" Hyou stiffened, "they are not home this morning, they went out." "They?" asked Inui. "Who is they?" "Why Jessica and your boy of course!" "My wife is over their house doing some laundry or something." The old man said pointing across the street. Inui turned to go. "Don't scare my wife." The old man said before shutting his door. He crossed the street; in the yard were various types of balls and toy trucks. He climbed the porch. "Yes….." the old woman trailed off staring at him. "it's you…you came" she whispered. "I am here to see Jessica, please" The woman said nothing. "Jessica, please" Inui said more firmly. The woman stammered "At the p-p-park." "Park?" She pointed down the street. Inui set his bag on the porch and walked in the direction of the pointed finger. He passed several houses on the little street. Inui spotted the green open field with play equipment. He entered and scanned faces. "MA MA!!" "MA MA!!" He held his breath. The little boy was at the top of the slide clinging to the bars for dear life. "Don't let go, mamas' coming!" Jessica was running towards the slide. Inui started breathing again and walked over to where they were. Jessica climbed the ladder to the slide. "Down!" the frightened little boy said. "Ok, mama will take you down." She lifted him onto her lap; he turned his face towards her neck to hide. "Don't be afraid, this is fun, here we go" Jessica kissed the top of his head and watched his expression as they went down. She could see, in his face that all was ok now. Her feet hit the dirt at the bottom when she finally looked up. She stood up holding Inui closer and her jaw dropped open and she fell back down onto the slide. "Jessica" Inui said softly. Jessica didn't know what to do. Little Inui struggled to get out of her arms, "me down mama!" She slowly lowered him to the ground keeping her eye on big Inui. "Inui? How? Why?" "We'll talk about all that later. All I need to know is do you still feel about me the way you did? Do you want me to be a part of your life?" "Oh my God!" she said throwing her arms around him, hugging him. "I'm sorry, I didn't do the right thing, I love you," she said very fast. "MA MA!" "MA MA! Inui go again!" the little boy said impatiently. She turned and looked up at him and smiled. "You do it … you climbed up, now come down to mama." The babe looked stricken. "MaMa go too." He insisted. Big Inui walked to where his son sat. He was as tall as the slide. He said something Jessica could not hear then moved to the bottom of the slide. "Daijobu desu" (its all right) "Ikimasho" (let's go) the boy stared at his father and slid down into his outstretched arms. Inui lifted him up high over his head. The boy laughed "Hi PaPa!" Jessica sat down on the ground hard and wept.


End file.
